Vehicle seat-back spring.



C. W. SCHULTZ & E. A. SWBENBY.

VBHIOLE SEAT BACK SPRING.. APPLIoATroN FILED JULY 5, 1910.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

CHARLES W. SCHULTZ AND EDWARD A. SWEENEY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE SEAT-BACK SPRING.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 5, 1910. Serial No. 570,251.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES W'. SCHUL'rz and Enu'Auo A. SWEENEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the count).r of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Vehicle Seat-Back Spring, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seat-back springs for vehicles, especially for automobile tonneaus, and the object of this construction is to provide, means whereby particularly the upper part of the seat-back shall be rendered soft and resilient.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a complete set of springs for an automobile tonneau seat-back. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 to G inclusive illustrate slight modifications which can be made 'in' the construction of the device.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The baclccushions of automobile tonneaus and other vehicles are usually formed by Vbuilding up a thick pad of horse-hair, moss,

or other somewhat resilient fibrous material, covering the same, and then tufting. These cushions are yieldable to a certain extent, but not sufficiently to be perfectly comfortable when -riding at high speeds over any but the best roads. It has been found most desirable that especially those portions of the cushions of. automobiles immediately back of the shoulders and upper part of the chest of the passengers should be yieldablc and soft, and atthe same time perfectly resilient, and that this is of greater moment than similar resiliencyT in the seat cushions.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 conventionally represents fthe seat, 2 the seat cushion and 3 the back of an automobile seat, which back may be of any desired height and inclination. The spring construction is first assembled and then secured in osition to the back. It. consists, as shown 1n Figs. 1 and 2, of a. frame formed of horizontal bars 4, 5 and 6, and uprights bars 7 which position the lon itudinal bars and are. secured thereto. 4lat springs of thin spring- -s`teel, generally Cshaped, consisting of the fronts 8, upper curves 9 and lower 'curves 10, extend from `the bars 4 to the .bars 6, over-hanging the rear side of .the frame, and

may be reinforced by any desired number A.of spiral springslQ. The spiral springs 12,

so that each front 8, has only one spring l2, i

either at the top or bottoni. The upper nud the lower rou' of sfu-ings 1Q. ure connected by means of a series of separate ties 1l, which pass over and across the ontcr side of the adjacent front S, as shown in Fig. l. By means of this constrmation, it. will bo readily seen that the nuinber of springs l2 for a given length of back. is reduced to a minimum and at the same time the yieldingr of a spring 12 is counnunicatcd to and rcsisted or taken up by the adjacent front 8,' through the tie 11, this action being the same and simultaneous at both the lower and the upper sections of the fronts S. From this construction and arrangement it will be.seen the springs 12, ties 11, and fronts 8 mutually eoperate with one. another in uniformly and quickly distributing the shock over a large section and number of the resilient elements comprising the scat back. If desired, these springs l2 may be omitted. Any sudden'jolt, s uch as may be caused by a stone or a rut when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, is softened bv the fiat springs yielding until they reach about the position shown bv thc dotted line 14 in Fig. 2. A pad 13 of any desired inaterial and thickness will be secured over the Springs as indicated in Fig.

In Fig. 4 the upright bars l5 support. a rod 1Gto which the upper ends of the flut springs 17 connect after forming a portion of a spiral. 1n Fig. the bars 18 are bent and carry the rod 19, which supports the ends of the springs 20, at their outer ends. Fig. 6 shows this rod 19 replaced by a. tiat bar 21, the uprhtihtl bars 22 and springs 23 remaining much the same. For n cheaper construction. the fronts S und lower curves 10 of the fiat springs may be replaced by fiat straps of mild steel it which connect to the upper curves 25 at lo as shown in Fie. 3. The efficienc)Y of vthis construction will, of course,v be slightly less than that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Many other changes in the details of construction can be made'bj,1 those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having now explained our construction, what "e claim as our'invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A vehicle seat-back-spring, comprising a frame formed of longitudinal and upright Patented Aug. 1., 191,1..

rods secured together, a series of separated and upwardly extendin resilient members having their lower engs and upwardly and connected to the lower portion of the frame and their upper ends extending upwardly, rearwardly, and downwardly to points of connection with the upp'er portion of the frame, coil springs connected to said frame and to the resilient members ancl'alternate'ly arranged near the top ad bottom of edjacent resilient members respectively, and ties extending transcurved inwardlv versely between and connecting adjacent coil springs and in front of and bearing' upon the intermediate resilient member.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES W. SCHULTZ. EDWARD A. SWEENEY.

Witnesses:

ADAM E, BLooM, EDWARD N. PAGELSEN. 

